A HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE 



all the Teutonic areas, and this expanding foot seems to be a specially 

 English feature. Round the neck of the skeleton was a string of 

 twenty or more beads, some being annular specimens of dark blue glass, 

 and one (described as glass) was evidently of crystal ; four were of 

 amber, roughly shaped like a spindle-whorl ; one consisted of a pierced 

 garnet disc, and the rest were of opaque glass of various colours. Near 

 the beads were several pieces of tubular bronze, such as have been found 

 elsewhere on necklaces ; and on the chest were fragments of a clasp, 

 apparently of the type sometimes found at the wrist, to fasten a bracelet. 

 An iron buckle at the waist evidently belonged to a leathern girdle, and 

 there were also two key-shaped objects of bronze which are usually called 

 chatelaines or girdle-hangers, and may have been worn as a symbol, just 

 as keys were carried by Roman matrons. A spindle-whorl of Kimmeridge 

 shale completed the list from this burial, which agrees closely with 

 several in the Anglian districts, and may be regarded as typical of the 

 richer class. 



It will not be necessary to describe the graves individually, but the next 

 deserves special mention. Of the skeleton, nothing remained but the teeth * 

 of a child, but from their position it was clear that the body had been buried 

 unburnt, or possibly after partial cremation, as a small vase near the teeth 

 showed traces of intense heat. In the position of the shoulder was a small 

 gilded bronze brooch of a form most unusual in England, but allied to certain 

 German specimens, and near it lay four beads, including Roman melon- 

 shaped specimens of turquoise glass. The partial burning suggested here 

 finds parallels in the same cemetery and elsewhere in England. Two Stapen- 

 hill burials one in a triple grave and the other that of a body with the head 

 west-north-west were surrounded by a ring of charcoal, 7 and in the former 

 case the bones that remained showed evident traces of fire, while in two other 

 graves were lumps of iron that had been subjected to great heat. Though 

 in some cases decayed wood may have been mistaken for charcoal (which is 

 often found in graves), there is positive evidence at Stapenhill of a practice 

 that may well represent a compromise between the pagan and Christian 

 ritual. It is most improbable that the bulk of unburnt burials are those of 

 Christian Anglo-Saxons, but it is fairly certain that no convert was cremated 

 at that period ; and in view of Christian relics in the adjoining county of 

 Derby it is possible that a ceremonial burning of the dead was retained, in 

 deference to pagan traditions, for some time after inhumation had been 

 introduced. The transition may be further illustrated by the unburnt graves 

 at Stapenhill that have not the Christian orientation, but the question cannot 

 be settled without further evidence. The direction of the Stapenhill 

 interments without grave-furniture is by no means uniform ; and weapons 

 were found in others, a spear or lance-head, when present, being on the right 

 of the skull ; and in one case a shield lay on the left arm, the iron boss and 

 handle being preserved, as well as several rivets, that showed the ' war-board ' 

 to have been f in. thick. The knife, which was commonly carried by both 

 sexes for use at meals, was frequently found in this cemetery, but its position 

 was not constant. A few rude vases of pottery were found either near the 



A similar case at Wyaston : V.C.H. Derb. i, 269 ; Bateman, Ten Tears' Diggings, 1 8 8. 

 7 For examples in Derbyshire see f.C.H. Derb. \, 274. 



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